Nesting Cups

Nesting cups is the name given a set of cups, usually made out of metal, where the members of the set fit inside each other. One of the benefits of this type of cup is that since they fit inside of each other, they do not take up as much space as "normal" cups, and are useful when traveling, hiking or camping. While these can be larger, 4 ounce cups, the most common size holds about an ounce, an
d therefore ends up in the shotglass category.

Nesting cups can be found in a variety of containers, but the cups themselves have two distinct types. The older cups are all different sizes, with each cup just a bit larger than the last, so that the previous, smaller cup can fit inside of it, and when nestled together, the rim of the inner glass is at the same level as the rim of the outer glass. This means that there is an order to how they need to be stacked, and when they are put together all six cups take up as much space as the largest. In a set of the newer type of nesting cup, all of the cups are identical in size and shape, and they usually have a pronounced lip or rim. A set of these newer, one-size cups, a stack of six takes up the space of about two cups. This type appeared some time before 1934. Most of these are nickel plated, although they do appear in a pure copper finish.

The prices of these sets vary depending on the type of casing that they come in and if the case is made out of leather, the condition of the leather. The older sets and sets with "interesting" cases, such as a case shaped like a bullet or a piece of fruit have values in the $20-$40 range, while newer sets in a plain leather case can be found in the $10-$20 range.